Brand New (soon to be) Jackson's owner

[SunDoorBeads]

Hello everyone! I am here to hopefully make my new pet as happy as can be and get it right without too many hiccoughs!

Firstly, I am a seasoned pet owner but have never owned a lizard quite like a chameleon before. I have read just about everything I can get my hands on and I am confident that I can provide this little guy everything he will need.

I am due to pick him up later this evening from his previous owner. Their son went off to college and his parents do not want to care for him. They have owned him for about a year but I don't know how old he was when they got him. They have all the cage and materials but we are assuming in order to provide him with the best that we will either be modifying or adding to what we will be given.

Basically any pointers are so greatly appreciated! I know about diet and about the humidity and temp aspects but I also need to figure out the whole keeping crickets things or is it best to just buy them? Should I supplement with roaches (still not so sure I like that part) and I heard that Jackson's can't have D3 supplements or not a lot- I also wanted to know about how much stress this move will have on my new pet??

Thanks everyone for helping this first time Cham owner out!!!

 

[Action Jackson]

Follow this closely and you should do fine.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

 

[Juliaf3]

My jackson gets a variety of bugs. He really likes crickets which are his staple. So that's great. He's also fond of horn worms. In addition to these two he gets butterworms, pheonix worms, superworms, mealworms, Dubai, and blue bottle flies. I actually just ordered some Indian stick bugs and silk worms. This will be the first time he will have tried the last two. Meal worms, super worms, and crickets are always at my house. All three are super easy to keep. Key to keeping crickets alive- keeping them in the appropriate size container, having plenty of things for them to crawl on they breath through their backs so can suffocate easily without proper amount of space and climbing (egg crates work great), and keeping the container as cleaned out as possible. You'll want to get your Jackson's fecal tested atleast twice a year to check for parasites. Parasites are pretty common. They get them from the bugs. Left untreated parasites can kill a chameleon. I'm currently treating my jackson for parasites. If they have had your jackson for over a year, he's an adult which means he should be weighing in the 90 grams range. I tell you this because if he is under weight, parasites could be the issue. I always get a fecal done when I get a new arrival. Just to be on the safe side. Fecals are super easy to have done. Simply take a fresh fecal to your vet and have it tested. You don't even have to take your chameleon in. My vet does fecals very very cheap, but I've heard others say it can cost around $30. Just depends on your area.

I order 500 crickets at a time. This usually lasts me about a month and a half ( I have 2 chameleons) If you only have one- you can definitely order less. However, the more you order, the cheaper it gets. If you can keep that many- I'd order a tad bit smaller then what he can handle because they will grow to big before he gets to eat them all. My jackson is over a year old too. I order him 1/2 inch crickets. If you order five hundred, this is what I would do. Since you only have 1 chameleon- I wouldn't gut load all 500 with your premium gut load.(I use repashy bug burger and mix in greens and fruits) i'd give the bulk some lettuce, squash- just basic food items to keep them hydrated and alive. They will canibalize if they don't have enough to eat and grow really fast if they are getting premium gut load. Take a hundred or so and feed them the premium. Once those are gone, replace with new crickets from the main container. This is just an opinion for someone who wants to keep a large amount for only one chameleon. My friend is actually breeding crickets. It's also very easy, but your looking at a good 4 months or more before you have crickets big enough for a 1 year old. I have a couple different places that I order my bugs from. One is nick barta- you can find him on the classifieds here. Great guy to ordered from. Another is Lindasgonebuggie.com. Very satisfied with her as well. Since you only have 1 chameleon- I'd just order the crickets. It's easier, less time and space consuming. Breeding crickets would require several containers and lamps. ANYWAY I hope my post was helpful! Congrats on the jackson! Can't wait to see him and your set up!

 

[kplatvoet]

Welcome - the only thing I can add is that I see a noticeable difference in my jackson with a good cool down at night and good gut loading. She's less picky but will move real quick for "different" food items - she eat's anything - but seems to perk up with a change up anytime it's offered. She's normally quite mellow but get's cranky every time I clean her cage or make any changes and doesn't like it if a leaf is out of place- but she get's over it pretty quick.